Markandeya Purana — Adhyaya 51, Shloka 114

Adhyaya 51 — Yaksha Injunctions: Graha-Children and Female Spirits Causing Domestic and Ritual Disruptions

Sanskrit

प्रसूते कन्यके द्वे तु स्त्रीपुंसोर्‍बोजहारिणी ।

वातरूपामरूपाञ्च तस्याः प्रहरणन्तु ते ॥

Transliteration

prasūte kanyake dve tu strīpuṃsor bojahāriṇī /

vātarūpām arūpāṃ ca tasyāḥ praharaṇan tu te

Translation

وتلدُ ابنتين تسرقان القوّة المُولِّدة للنساء والرجال: إحداهما تُدعى فاتاروبا، والأخرى أروبا. وهاتان الاثنتان هما أدواتُها (أسلحتها/وكلاؤها).

Word by Word

• प्रसूते: gives birth
• प्रसूते: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√सू (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), Ātmanepada (आत्मनेपद), 3rd Person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन)

• कन्यके: two girls/daughters
• कन्यके: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कन्यका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन)

• द्वे: two
• द्वे: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वि (संख्याप्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन); numeral qualifying कन्यके

• तु: but/indeed
• तु: Nipata (निपात/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण/विरोधसूचक अव्यय)

• स्त्री-पुंसोः: of woman and man (female and male)
• स्त्री-पुंसोः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री + पुंस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Dual (द्विवचन); द्वन्द्वसमासः (स्त्री च पुमान् च)

• बोज-हारिणी: seed/virility-stealing (one)
• बोज-हारिणी: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बोज + हारिणी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); षष्ठी/कर्मधारय-प्रायः तत्पुरुषः ‘बोजं हरति’ (one who takes away seed/virility)

• वात-रूपा: wind-formed
• वात-रूपा: Karma (कर्म/Apposition to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन) or Nominative Dual by form; here appositional to कन्यके (two girls): ‘having the form of wind’

• अ-रूपा: formless
• अ-रूपा: Karma (कर्म/Apposition to object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Dual (द्विवचन) or Nominative Dual by form; appositional to कन्यके: ‘formless’

• च: and
• च: Samuccaya (समुच्चय/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय)

• तस्याः: of her
• तस्याः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine (स्त्रीलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• प्रहरणम्: weapon/means
• प्रहरणम्: Karya/Upaya (उपाय/Instrumental sense by meaning)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रहरण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) or Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); here as predicate/nominal: ‘weapon/means’

• तु: indeed
• तु: Nipata (निपात/Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अवधारण/विरोधसूचक अव्यय)

• ते: they
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Plural (बहुवचन); demonstrative pronoun

Speakers

• Narrative voice

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Etiology of disease/affliction
• Sexual vitality and its loss
• Moralized physiology (purity/impurity)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The text frames certain harms as consequences mediated by personified forces. The ethical thrust is indirect: improper conduct and impurity are portrayed as opening one to forces that diminish vitality and well-being.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This is a localized 'origin of afflictions' narrative, adjacent to sarga/pratisarga modes (mythic causation), not a manvantara genealogy.

What is the esoteric significance?

Vātarūpā (wind-like) suggests instability and dispersal of vital essence; Arūpā (formless/beautyless) suggests loss of embodied radiance/śrī. Together they symbolize depletion of prāṇa and tejas.